Greenhouse gases, in particular Carbon Dioxide (CO2), have contributed to the warming of the Earth due to the greenhouse effect. The burning of fossil fuels, the farming of cattle, and other reasons have resulted in human civilization increasing the amount of CO2 being emitted into the Earth's atmosphere.
Presently, there are approximately 400 ppm CO2 in the atmosphere. The half-life of CO2 is more than 100 years. If humanity wishes to reverse the effects of climate change, not only does the burning more fossil fuels have to cease (or at least diminish), but the amount of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere must be extracted.
Therefore, an easy and efficient method of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is needed.
Examples of related art are described below:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,914,758 generally describes a CO2 control device and method for capturing CO2 from fluid flow, including: a flow-through apparatus and an CO2 absorbing filter treated with an alkaline material which is housed within the flow-through apparatus. The flow-through apparatus receives fluid flow and the CO2 from the fluid flow is absorbed by the CO2 absorbing filter. The absorbed CO2 is converted into CaCO3 which is combined with volcanic ash to form a useful cement material.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,000,289 generally describes methods and systems for air conditioning, capturing combustion contaminants, desalination, and other processes using liquid desiccants.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,086,223 generally describes methods and systems for air conditioning, capturing combustion contaminants, desalination, and other processes using liquid desiccants.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,243,810 generally describes a desiccant air conditioning system that treats an air stream entering a building space. The system includes a conditioner having multiple structures arranged in a substantially vertical orientation, each having at least one surface across which a liquid desiccant can flow. The air stream flows through or between the structures such that the liquid desiccant dehumidifies the air stream in a warm weather operation mode and humidifies the air stream in a cold weather operation mode. Each structure further includes a desiccant collector at a lower end of the at least one surface for collecting liquid desiccant that has flowed across the at least one surface of the structure. A regenerator receives liquid desiccant from the desiccant collectors in the conditioner and causes the liquid desiccant to desorb water in the warm weather operation mode and to absorb water in the cold weather operation mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,273,877 generally describes a desiccant air conditioning system for coolant an air stream entering a building space includes a conditioner and a regenerator. The conditioner includes structures arranged in a substantially vertical orientation that are spaced apart from each other with an air stream gap between each pair of adjacent structures. Each structure has a surface facing an air stream gap across which a liquid desiccant can flow. The air stream flows through the air stream gaps between the structures such that the liquid desiccant dehumidifies the air stream. Each structure further includes a separate desiccant collector at a lower end of the surface for collecting liquid desiccant that has flowed across the surface of the structure. The desiccant collectors are spaced apart from each other to permit airflow therebetween. A photovoltaic-thermal module heats a heat transfer fluid used to heat the liquid desiccant in the regenerator.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,377,207 generally describes methods and systems for air conditioning, capturing combustion contaminants, desalination, and other processes using liquid desiccants.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,429,332 generally describes a desiccant air conditioning system for treating an air stream entering a building space includes a conditioner, an air treatment unit, and a regenerator. The air treatment unit acts as an evaporative chiller in a warm weather operation mode to cool heat transfer fluid used in the conditioner. The evaporative chiller receives at least a portion of a dehumidified air stream exiting the conditioner and heat transfer fluid from the conditioner, and causes the portion of the dehumidified air stream to absorb water from a water source and thereby cool the heat transfer fluid. The regenerator receives liquid desiccant from the conditioner and absorbs water from the liquid desiccant.
International Patent Publication No. WO2007146050A2 generally describes a bio-renewable thermal energy heating and coolant system which is capable of rejection, reclamation and cogeneration. The refrigeration system of the present invention utilizes one or more evaporators and one or more condensers to transform thermal energy in the form of waste heat in one environment for use in another environment. The hot and cold sides of the refrigeration process may be split for multiple applications for increased utilization of the system energy. The environmental variables are balanced so as to optimize the properties of the refrigerant and the capabilities of the system compressor.
International Patent Publication No. WO2008009049 generally describes a method and apparatus in which, at an absorber station, CO2 is absorbed from a gas stream into a suitable solvent whereby to convert the solvent into a CO2-enriched medium, which is conveyed to a desorber station, typically nearer to a solar energy field than to the absorber station. Working fluid, heated in the solar energy field by insolation, is employed to effect desorption of CO2 from the CO2-enriched medium, whereby to produce separate CO2 and regenerated solvent streams. The regenerated solvent stream is recycled to the absorber station. The CO2-enriched medium and/or the regenerated solvent stream may be selectively accumulated so as to respectively optimize the timing and rate of absorption and desorption of CO2 and/or to provide a storage of solar energy.
International Patent Publication No. WO2009065577 generally describes a grid-connected power plant, having the following systems which are adjusted in their capacitance to each other: a) a wind power plant, water power plant, solar-thermal system and/or photovoltaic system for the production of electrical energy for operating the systems b) through f); b) a CO2 absorption system for the absorption of atmospheric CO2; c) a CO2 desorption system for the desorption of the CO2 gained in b); d) an electrochemical or solar-thermal H2 synthesis system for the operating system e); e) a synthesis system selected from the group catalytic methanol synthesis, catalytic DME synthesis, catalytic methane synthesis; f) a storage system selected from the group methanol storage system, DME storage system, methane storage system. The invention also relates to the use of such a power plant and methods for the operation of such a power plant.
International Patent Publication No. WO2009103963A1 generally describes an integrated ventilation and heating system for a room, building or the like comprises a ventilation stack having an interior space, a first opening which in use provides fluid communication between the interior space and the room, building or the like to be ventilated, and a second opening which in use provides fluid communication between the interior space and ambient atmosphere, the interior space in use providing a mixing space for air entering the stack from the room and air entering the stack from the ambient atmosphere. A heating control device controls the operation of a heating apparatus that provides heat to the room, building or the like. A system controller controls both the operation of the heating control device and the size of at least the second opening according to a pre-determined room condition.
International Patent Publication No. WO2015035521 generally describes a membrane-less electrochemical reactor for use in processes for the electro-reduction of CO2. The reactor has an anode and a 3D cathode, separated by an electronically insulating layer, preferably a porous hydrophilic material or a hydrophobic material.
None of the art described above addresses all of the issues that the present invention does.